Zakaria Family Foundation
The Zakaria Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Morristown, New Jersey. In its 2024 filing, it reported 34 grants totaling $665,500 to charitable organizations, including recipients working in education, health care, arts and culture, environmental protection, and humanitarian services.
Zakaria Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Zakaria Family Foundation gave $666K across 34 grants in 2024 (avg $20K), mostly in New Jersey. 15% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $665,500
- -0.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 34
- +3.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $19,574
- -3.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $7,322,112
- -3.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (5 of 34, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New Jersey (51% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Zakaria Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 62 Elm Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
Phone: (973) 599-0900
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Zakaria Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Rutgers University Foundation ($120K). Together the top 10 received $395K.
Grant Size Distribution
201 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 189 grants of 201 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, New Jersey recipients received 51% of grant dollars and New York recipients received 23%. Virginia and Florida each received 5%, and the District of Columbia received 4%. The listed grants also included recipients in Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Zakaria Family Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 34 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $21K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 76% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+15%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 83% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $518K (2020) to $727K (2022). In 2024 it made 34 grants totaling $666K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rutgers University Foundation New Brunswick, NJ | Educational Support | $120,000 |
| Morristown Medical Fdn Morristown, NJ | To support the Cardiovascular Center of Excellence General Purpose Fund | $50,000 |
| Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company Union, NJ | Educational Support | $35,000 |
| Heaf New York, NY | Educational Support | $30,000 |
| Great Swamp Watershed Assoc Morristown, NJ | Protect public land, clean air, and clean water | $30,000 |
| Independent Women's Forum Winchester, VA | To help educate, develop and advance policies that actually enhance freedom, opportunities, and well-being. | $30,000 |
| Friends of Seva Mandir Edison, NJ | Health and education | $25,000 |
| Amer Assoc for the Advancement of S Washington, DC | Education | $25,000 |
| International Rescue Committee New York, NY | Global humanitarian aid, relief, and development nongovernmental organization. | $25,000 |
| Two East Sixty-Second St Fdn New York, NY | To help preserve and maintain the exterior of Two East Sixty-second St, NY, NY. | $25,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $7,322,112 | $568,121 | $806,431 | $665,500 | 34 | $667,199 | $564,552 | $804,495 |
| 2023 | $7,558,100 | $808,988 | $788,616 | $667,000 | 33 | $673,805 | $800,944 | $675,348 |
| 2022 | $7,540,427 | $774,365 | $854,661 | $727,000 | 49 | $740,761 | $662,609 | $683,130 |
| 2021 | $7,612,372 | $217,989 | $703,001 | $580,500 | 49 | $593,515 | $112,534 | $735,317 |
| 2020 | $8,099,349 | $213,492 | $637,365 | $518,000 | 36 | — | $126,095 | $591,481 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Zakaria Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $804K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for educational programs, a medical center, a dance company, environmental protection, humanitarian aid, and a museum.
The grantees describe their own work in varied terms. Rutgers University Foundation says its mission is to support Rutgers and help it attain excellence in education, research, and public service. Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company describes its work as creating and presenting contemporary dance through performance, education, and community programs. The International Rescue Committee says it responds to humanitarian crises and helps people affected by conflict and disaster survive and recover. These are grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 34 grants totaling $665,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $120,000, with a median of $15,000. The largest grant was $120,000 to Rutgers University Foundation for educational support. Other notable grants included $50,000 to Morristown Medical Foundation for its Cardiovascular Center of Excellence General Purpose Fund; $35,000 to Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company for educational support; and $30,000 each to HEAF for educational support and Great Swamp Watershed Association to protect public land, clean air, and clean water.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Arshad Zakaria as Chairman; Ann Stock Zakaria and Fareed Zakaria as Trustees; and James Higgins as Secretary.
Zakaria Family Foundation is led by Arshad Zakaria, Chairman on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Arshad Zakaria
Chairman
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ann Stock Zakaria
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Fareed Zakaria
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Higgins
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Zakaria Family Foundation
How much does Zakaria Family Foundation give each year?
Zakaria Family Foundation gave $666K across 34 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $667K across 33 grants.
What is Zakaria Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Zakaria Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $19,574, across 34 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Zakaria Family Foundation that year got $12K on average.
Where does Zakaria Family Foundation give grants?
Zakaria Family Foundation gives mostly in New Jersey: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (23%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants), Morristown, NJ (4 grants), Miami, FL (2 grants) and Brooklyn, NY (2 grants).
Does Zakaria Family Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of Zakaria Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 34) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Educational Support" (3 grants).
Who are Zakaria Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Zakaria Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Rutgers University Foundation ($120,000), Morristown Medical Fdn ($50,000) and Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company ($35,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Zakaria Family Foundation?
Zakaria Family Foundation reported $7.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $667K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $804K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Zakaria Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for educational programs, a medical center, a dance company, environmental protection, humanitarian aid, and a museum. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Zakaria Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Zakaria Family Foundation's EIN?
Zakaria Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1607321. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Zakaria Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Zakaria Family Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Zakaria Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/zakaria-family-foundation-morg_07de2b3571b544649b2c9ffe17ab382f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_261607321_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Zakaria Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/zakaria-family-foundation-morg_07de2b3571b544649b2c9ffe17ab382f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Zakaria Family Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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